1. The Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to the laying or repairing of railroad tracks, and, more specifically, to a system for moving and placing railroad panels.
2. The Relevant Technology
Railroads and rail systems have existed since the middle of the nineteenth century. In a typical rail system, rail cars move along a pair of steel rails that are evenly spaced apart. These rails are secured to wooden ties that are laid in a bed of gravel or some other stabilizing material. This system of rails and ties is known as a railroad track.
Railroad tracks were originally laid down by a group of workers. The workers would manually set each individual tie on the rail bed. Once a sufficient number of ties had been laid, the workers would manually secure the steel rails to the ties. This was done by hammering large spikes into the ties at spaced apart intervals to hold down the rails. The process was very labor intensive, and potentially very dangerous. The ties and rails were quite heavy, and there was always the potential to drop one or both on, for example, a workers foot.
By the 1950's, railroad operators had devised a better system for laying and/or repairing railroad tracks. The operators started using rail panels to lay or repair track. A rail panel is made up of a pair of evenly spaced rails attached to a series of ties. In one standard configuration, the rail panel is 39 feet long and weighs approximately 10,000 pounds. The rails have joint bars on one end to allow the panel to be lined up with an existing section of track.
Modern railroad operators typically use a panel grabber that picks up a panel as a unit. The panel grabber allows a panel to be placed in position without having to individually lay ties and rails. Typical panel grabbers have a pair of arms that resemble two large pairs of pliers spaced about three feet apart. These pliers-like arms fit over the outside of the rails. The arms must be manually locked in place on the panel. As a lifting force is applied, the arms grab the sides of the rails, thus allowing the panel to be moved.
To use such typical panel grabbers, an individual must climb on top of a stack of panels to align the grabber. These stacks of panels are often delivered to a job site on the back of a flatbed truck. They can be stacked six or more high. Having been transported for potentially many miles, these stacks of panels may be unstable when tie downs securing the panels are released. An individual climbing on top of the panels must manually align the panel grabber, placing it very near the center of the panel, and then lock it in place. If the panel grabber is not placed near the center of the panel, it will lift only one end of the panel, causing the other end to tilt and/or drag. If it is not properly centered, the individual must climb back onto the stack of panels and manually attempt alignment a second time.
With the typical system, individuals with guide ropes generally manually stabilize the 10,000 pound panels when the panel is lifted and suspended in the air. This prevents the panel from twisting or turning in undesired orientations. Unfortunately, it is a challenge for an individual, or even a group of individuals, to exert enough force on a 10,000 pound panel to stabilize it while it is suspended in the air. Additionally, other individuals must physically align the joint bars with the existing track. This system can require as many as six men to place one panel onto the rail bed.